Despite its proximity to Topkapı Palace and Aya Sofya, the İstanbul Archaeology Museums (muze.gen.tr; €15) complex is often overlooked by visitors. This is their great loss. The city's foremost archaeological museum, it comprises three buildings located just below the palace – access is via Topkapı's First Court or from Gülhane Park. The complex recently reopened following a major renovation, and includes the Archaeology Museum (Arkeoloji Müzesi), the Museum of the Ancient Orient (Eski Şark Eserler Müzesi) and the Tiled Pavilion (Çinili Köşk). These museums house the palace collections formed during the late 19th century by museum director, artist and archaeologist Osman Hamdi Bey.
The Archaeology Museum houses an extensive collection of sarcophagi on the ground floor of its northern wing (to the left as you enter). The most notable displays are the sarcophagi from the Royal Necropolis of Sidon (Side in modern-day Lebanon), unearthed in 1887. Don't miss the extraordinary Alexander Sarcophagus and Mourning Women Sarcophagus, both created in the 4th century BCE.
The southern wing of the museum houses exquisite Hellenistic and Roman statuary on the ground floor, including the Ephebos Heykeli, a marble statue of a boy in a cloak dating from between the 1st century BCE and 1st century CE. Upstairs exhibits include a fascinating Troy Hall with an audiovisual presentation about documenting and cleaning artifacts from the site. Further on, in the north wing, are the so-called Treasure Hall and a hall devoted to ancient coins.
